$30 billion: Annual shortfall to end world hunger.
$550 billion: U.S. Defense budget

During the last election, I recall reading an article detailing the contributions from major organizations. One of the big Wall Street investment firms had split their millions nearly evenly between Republication & Democrat (obviously a case of supporting the best government money can buy)!

With TARP1 and TARP2 it has become evident that those investments are paying dividends. In fact, look at our new (tax cheating) Treasury Secretary. Definitively part of the status quo that got us into this mess, yet Obama picked this insider of the financial oligarchy. And his first major initiative, proposing a Trillion more to protect the share/bond holders & richly payed execs of the major banks.

That money will come out of yours & mine pockets.

You point to Daschle as an example but you are mistaken if you think Daschle stepped aside because of tax concerns. It was precisely because he made $5MM “selling” influence and access even if he was not a registered lobbyist that led to his withdrawal. As for William Lynn, he is one appointee amongst many, many. The exception does not dismantle the principle. Quite the opposite. Often it reinforces it. William Lynn happens to be in line with all the other Obama appointees — the best possible person for that position.

It’s good that you and others are underestimating President Obama. It gives him plenty of room to maneuver and continue doing what he promised to to do — what is best for this country.

If you keep shooting from the hip, Bernd, sooner or later, you will shoot yourself in the foot.

Where there’s money there will be greed and corruption. But still further, all COLLECTIVE human activity, tends to get corrupted. For instance, start a political party to protect the interests, for example, of the poor, and the Party ends up being more important than the people they were elected to represent. The members of the Party even make millions out of it. Including BHO and HRC. Depressing, but true.

Only a system that includes all, as INDIVIDUALS? can prosper.

How can we set up something like this? Maybe the internet, as someone else has said, can help.

As Maggie Thatcher said, “There is no such thing as Society – only individuals who part of something bigger. I’m sure I have quoted that wrongly, but I believe that that was the gist of what she was saying.

Why? Because it gives them less time to be infected by lobbyists, and it gives interest groups less ROI on their investment should they successfully elect their candidate (hopefully enough to make them reconsider the effort & expense).

Another advantage is that it stops this nonsense of an entrenched Congress critter becoming the head of a important committee (e.g. Connecticut’s Dodd or MA Franks come to mind). With revolving representatives, there will be less hierarchy and more democracy (not necessarily a good thing… but the buying of Congress has proved so harmful that we HAVE to find alternatives).

We also need public financing of elections.
Candidates shouldn’t mortgage their souls to special interests to gain visibility initially.

All the above would do wonders to improve our lot.

Additional we need the media to step back up to the plate. You thoroughly deserted us during the Bush years!

As someone old enough to have lived through the Vietnam War years, I recall the important role the media played in the struggle to keep Gov responsible. Somehow the media went totally MIA in the buildup to the Iraq war.

Shame on you. Society needs your talents. We need a vibrant & questioning media & not this doormat for the status quo. Now the fact that a few Conglomerates have bought up the major media houses does come into play, (yet another reason for an independent Congress to watchguard our communal interests).

To summarize, things are thoroughly screwed up!
It seems the worst elements have risen to power.
All the more reason for the disenfranchised to reassert them(our)selves.

Yes… fight as though our lives depend on it;
because they probably do.